The Experiences of African American Women Participating in Church-based Weight Loss Programs

While obesity is a nationwide phenomenon, African Americans - especially women - continue to be more severely affected than any other ethnic group. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over 20% of African American women are obese compared to 15.6% of Caucasian women. The church is an important community center for many African Americans, and is often a site for health promotion programs, though little is known of the effectiveness of these programs. The purpose of this qualitative study was to study the experiences and attitudes of African American women who have gone through a church-based weight-loss program. Questions were asked about the cultural, environmental and social barriers to weight loss, and the components of effective church-based weight loss programs. Using a phenomenological approach, this study was designed to capture new data for the development of sustainable church-based weight-loss programs. The theory of social support was used as a theoretical framework. The major themes arising from the data concerned the importance of: (a) social support on all levels; (b) the involvement of the pastor, his spouse, or other church leadership; (c) the inclusion of weight-loss participants in program design; (d) a holistic program design to meet the needs of the entire family; and (e) a culturally sensitive program. The inclusion of all these elements is recommended for future programs. The social change implication is that these recommendations could be helpful in the design, development, and implementation of sustainable church-based weight-loss programs for African American women

Mammals adjust diel activity across gradients of urbanization

Time is a fundamental component of ecological processes. How animal behavior changes over time has been explored through well-known ecological theories like niche partitioning and predator–prey dynamics. Yet, changes in animal behavior within the shorter 24-hr light–dark cycle have largely gone unstudied. Understanding if an animal can adjust their temporal activity to mitigate or adapt to environmental change has become a recent topic of discussion and is important for effective wildlife management and conservation. While spatial habitat is a fundamental consideration in wildlife management and conservation, temporal habitat is often ignored. We formulated a temporal resource selection model to quantify the diel behavior of 8 mammal species across 10 US cities. We found high variability in diel activity patterns within and among species and species-specific correlations between diel activity and human population density, impervious land cover, available greenspace, vegetation cover, and mean daily temperature. We also found that some species may modulate temporal behaviors to manage both natural and anthropogenic risks. Our results highlight the complexity with which temporal activity patterns interact with local environmental characteristics, and suggest that urban mammals may use time along the 24-hr cycle to reduce risk, adapt, and therefore persist, and in some cases thrive, in human-dominated ecosystems

Mental health needs and services in the West Bank, Palestine

Background Palestine is a low income country with scarce resources, which is seeking independence. This paper discusses the high levels of mental health need found amongst Palestinian people, and examines services, education and research in this area with particular attention paid to the West Bank. Methods CINAHL, PubMed, and Science Direct were used to search for materials. Results and conclusion Evidence from this review is that there is a necessity to increase the availability and quality of mental health care. Mental health policy and services in Palestine need development in order to better meet the needs of service users and professionals. It is essential to raise awareness of mental health and increase the integration of mental health services with other areas of health care. Civilians need their basic human needs met, including having freedom of movement and seeing an end to the occupation. There is a need to enhance the resilience and capacity of community mental health teams. There is a need to increase resources and offer more support, up-to-date training and supervision to mental health teams

Impairments, Diagnosis and Treatments Associated with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in UK Adults: Results from the Lifetime Impairment Survey

AimThe Lifetime Impairment Survey assessed how ADHD impairs everyday life, identifying areas most affected.MethodsThis opinion-based survey evaluated experiences, diagnosis and treatment of lifetime impairment in adults with (n=89) and without (n=94) ADHD. Groups were compared using impairment and symptoms scales; higher scores indicate greater impairment.ResultsMean (standard deviation) age at diagnosis was 18.2 (11.5) years; 47.1% were taking prescription medication for ADHD. Adults with ADHD reported greater impairments than those without for all scales (p<0.001) except the involvement scale.ConclusionGreater impairments in adults with than without ADHD suggest a continued impact throughout their daily lives

Trust and Biomedical Research Engagement of Minority and Under-Represented Communities in Mississippi, USA

Trust is critical to the development and maintenance of effective research collaborations and community engagement. The purpose of this study was to assess the current attitudes and level of trust pertaining to health research among residents of Central Mississippi, the priority health region for the Research Centers in Minority Institutions (RCMI) Center for Health Disparities Research (RCHDR) at Jackson State University. The cross-sectional study was conducted from November 2021 to April 2022. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics carried out by SPSS statistical software. A total of 146 participants responded to the survey. The participants were predominately African American (99%) and female (75%). Historical research studies, the researchers’ qualities, and potential benefits from participation were factors affecting the level of trust in the research process. Ninety percent (n = 131) expressed that it was important to be involved in the research process, and 98.5% (n = 144) agreed that discussing the research findings with the participants was important for establishing trust in the research process. While trust in the research process does not guarantee participation, trust is a precursor for those who decide to engage in health disparities research. Key findings will be integrated into the RCHDR research agenda to foster further development and implementation of innovative community-based participatory research toward the control and/or prevention of diseases that disproportionately affect minority and under-represented populations in Mississippi